JPIC

Transforming conflict into peace

Conflicts are an integral part of life in society. Social life is marked by different types of conflicts. They can be verbal but also non-verbal. They could also be armed as well as aggressive attitudes and behaviours which are signs of the difficulties of living together in harmony. I have not only experienced conflicts but also been involved and implicated in several situations of conflicts. I have lived and worked in conflict zones, rebellious contexts as well as in war zones. Some of these situations were well beyond our control. However, what counts is not the existence of conflicts but how we handle them.

18/12/2024

Refugees and migrants: welcome, empowerment, Commitment to justice and sustainable development

The surprising thing is that we still rarely ask ourselves: “Why” does this tragedy continue to happen today, even with greater cruelty, without trying to heal the root causes of this humanitarian catastrophe? Why are we content with “patches”, hospital care, food banks and material aid, while letting bodies continue to go down the river, and people cross the seas at great risks, fall on the battlefield or die oppressed and marginalized?

29/11/2024

Called to be a Sign of Hope, Conciliation and Peace in a World of Moral Decadence, Conflict and Uncertainty

An African proverb says: a finger cannot kill a louse. It is a good thing to come together at least to exchange ideas on how to bring more justice and peace to our Nigerian society. JPI’s work is like a drop of water in the ocean, but we need that drop of water to fill our pastoral vase. Being a member of JPI is an attitude to be encouraged and recognized. As a Missionary of Africa, I learned a lot from others and above all I now know how to evaluate our contribution in the field of JPIC-ED and especially regarding safeguarding.

20/11/2024

Called to be apostles of social justice in St. Peter’s parish, Kimisagara, Kigali

Raising awareness of social injustice would require us to adopt the prophetic attitude of announcing, denouncing and renouncing. In other words, we need to be able to announce the Good News of Salvation which boils down to love of God and love of neighbour; denounce vehemently all forms of social injustice and renounce all practices and ideologies that we also have that are incongruent with the gospel values and teachings of the Church. How could this be done in practical terms?

13/11/2024

Conflict-Related Sexual Violence : A Challenge to the Church and Faith-Based Organizations (FBOs)

Sexual violence continues to be used as a weapon of war. With more than 100 conflicts active worldwide, sexual violence is bound to happen on a large scale. The most affected by this inhuman act are girls, women and children.

12/11/2024

Addressing Social Justice in St Anthony’s and St Mark’s Parish in Rutherglen, Great Britain

The first one is our St Vincent de Paul Group (SVDP), who for years has been assisting local families in their times of need. Presently there are six active members who this year undertook 378 visits to families and individuals in the parish area. These visits range from sharing a cup of tea and a chat with those who have little contact with others to assisting families moving from one home to another.

06/11/2024

Sitting on a Well full of Water but Being Deprived of Drinking from it

The world of social injustice can be best described with a scenario where a man who is dying of thirst is comfortably sitting on a well, filled with pure water, but who is being blocked deliberately by a super force from drinking this water.

25/10/2024

Promoting Social Justice: a Journey with Sharing Youth Centre in Kampala Archdiocese

Social justice is not merely an abstract concept but a vital necessity for communities grappling with systemic inequalities and injustices. Within the bustling streets of Kampala, Uganda, Sharing Youth Centre (SYC) stands as a beacon of hope, striving to address the multifaceted challenges faced by the youth in the region.

23/10/2024

Peaceful conflict resolution initiatives in the diocese of Mahagi-Nioka (Ituri – D.R. Congo)

Handling an issue peacefully, calmly and without the slightest form of violence corresponds to peaceful conflict management. It reflects the various parties’ willingness to deal with a given situation calmly and serenely, without aggression. We are all aware of the feverish insecurity and socio-security disturbances that have prevailed throughout DR Congo, particularly in the province of Ituri.

26/07/2024

If you want peace, you need to be familiar with conflict

Conflicts are inevitable in any human relationship. They are omnipresent and part of everyday life. We live in a society where the temptation to conflict and the desire for peace are closely related. Since conflict is natural and there is hardly any such thing as a life without conflict, it is crucial to be conscious of conflict in everyday life.

10/07/2024

Conflicts: challenges and opportunities for prophetic witness

Who among us hasn’t experienced conflict in our communities? We are far from a paradisiacal state of absolute peace. From my experience, the theme of conflict easily provokes a feeling of malaise. It brings us back to the day-to-day realities that we experience. Ignoring conflicts, not wanting to see them, not talking about them, ignoring them or rushing back to a state of apparent tranquillity without managing them constructively are attitudes and habits that we observe, particularly in our religious circles.

04/07/2024

Mission and conflict: daily choices to make

The expression ‘si vis pacem para bellum’ (If you want peace, prepare for war) comes to my mind whenever I think about ‘peaceful resolution of conflicts’. In fact, living is itself a fight and existing implies will, freedom, and choices. These three essentials battle constantly in a human in existence, being in conflict with himself and his social milieu.

02/07/2024